We get approached by property owners fairly regularly. Someone has a villa in Santorini, or a house in Crete they have just renovated, or a property in Cyprus that has been renting well on Airbnb and they want to expand their reach. They want to know if we will list it on Bnbstay.
The answer is often no. And we think it is worth explaining why, because the properties we turn down tell you quite a lot about the ones we do list.
We Only List Villas We Have Personally Checked
This is the starting point. We do not add properties to our collection based on photos and a description sent over by email. Every villa we list is one that someone from our team has visited, walked around, and assessed in person.
That sounds straightforward, but it rules out a significant number of properties that might otherwise look very appealing in a listing. A villa can photograph beautifully and still have problems that only become apparent when you are standing in the garden, such as a neighbouring construction project that has started since the photos were taken, a pool that is smaller than the wide-angle lens suggests, or a location that the listing describes as "close to the beach" but that in reality requires a car and a twenty-minute drive.
We have turned down properties because of all of those things. We have also turned down villas that were genuinely beautiful but sat right underneath a flight path, or that had lovely interiors but a road running immediately behind the garden wall, or that had spectacular views but no meaningful shade anywhere on the property for a family with young children.
Standards That Have to Be Met
Beyond the personal inspection, there are certain standards a property has to meet before we consider listing it.
Every villa must have a valid EOT licence. This is a permit from the Greek National Tourism Organisation, or the equivalent in Cyprus, that allows a property to be legally rented out as holiday accommodation. It is a legal requirement, but plenty of properties on unregulated platforms rent without one. We do not list any property that cannot show us a valid licence.
The property has to be genuinely well-maintained. A villa that was beautifully fitted out five years ago but has not had meaningful investment since then is not the same thing as a well-maintained villa. We look at the condition of the pool, the outdoor furniture, the kitchen equipment, the beds and linens, and the general upkeep of the grounds. If something is worn out or broken, we ask whether it is being replaced, and if not, we do not list the property.
We also pay attention to the owner or management company behind the property. A villa is only as good as the person looking after it. If the local manager is hard to reach, or if previous guests have consistently reported that issues were not dealt with during their stay, that property does not make it into our collection regardless of how attractive it looks.
What This Means for the Villas We Do List
It means that every villa in our curated collection has been through a process that a lot of properties would not pass. We are not a platform. We do not list everything and let guests sift through the results to find the good ones. We do the sifting ourselves, before anything appears in our featured collection.
That approach limits the size of our collection compared to the large booking platforms. We are fine with that. The whole point of what we do is to be Greek villa specialists, not a generalist directory where the quality varies from excellent to disappointing and guests have no way of knowing which until they arrive.
When you book a villa through Bnbstay, whether it is a beachfront villa in Crete, a luxury property in Santorini, or a family villa in Cyprus, you are booking something that we are prepared to put our name to. That is not something we take lightly.
We Also Remove Properties
Listing a villa is not a permanent arrangement. Properties get removed from our collection when they stop meeting our standard, whether because maintenance has slipped, because an owner has changed their management approach, or because we have had guest feedback that suggests something has changed since our last inspection.
This happens quietly and without fanfare. It is just part of running a collection that we can actually stand behind.
Frequently Asked Questions
How does Bnbstay vet its villas? Every villa in our curated collection is personally visited by someone from our team before it is listed. We assess the property itself, the condition of the pool and outdoor areas, the quality of the furnishings and kitchen equipment, and the reliability of the local management. Properties that do not meet our standard are not listed, and properties that slip below it over time are removed.
What is an EOT licence and why does it matter? An EOT licence is a permit issued by the Greek National Tourism Organisation that allows a property to be legally rented out as holiday accommodation. It is a legal requirement in Greece, but a significant number of properties on unregulated platforms rent without one. All villas listed on Bnbstay hold a valid EOT licence, or the equivalent in Cyprus. Booking a villa without a valid licence leaves guests with limited legal protection if something goes wrong.
Can I list my villa with Bnbstay? If you own a villa in Greece or Cyprus and believe it meets our standard, we would be happy to hear from you. We visit every property we consider listing, so the process starts with a conversation and a site visit. Get in touch through our contact page and we will take it from there.
What happens if a villa no longer meets Bnbstay's standard? We remove it. This happens when maintenance has slipped, when an owner has changed their management approach, or when guest feedback consistently suggests something has changed. We do not keep properties on the site simply because they have been listed for a long time.
If you are a villa owner in Greece or Cyprus and you think your property meets our standard, we would be happy to hear from you. Get in touch here. And if you are a guest looking for a villa that has been properly vetted, browse our Greece villas and Cyprus villas to find the right one for you.
